Will Ferrell to Star in a Drama About the 1973 Battle of the Sexes Tennis Match

Will Ferrell is going dramatic again, this time in a movie about the iconic 1973 tennis match known as “The Battle of the Sexes” between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. Variety reports that the movie is called Match Maker, and it’s a drama written by Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).

The film is based on a 2013 ESPN article about the match called The Match Maker: Bobby Riggs, The Mafia and The Battle of the Sexes, written by Don Van Natta Jr. Ferrell will play Riggs, a 55-year-old retired player, who went up against King, a 29-year-old tennis champ, in a match watched by 50 million people. In addition to starring, Ferrell is producing via his company Gary Sanchez with Adam McKay and Jessica Elbaum.